Right now, sips are taking a trip, as elixirs crafted with Asian ingredients are bringing the Far East as close to you as your glass.

Libations are brightened by a squeeze of yuzu or kumquat, while muddled lime leaves or chopped lemongrass turn up the volume on aromatics. Heat—chilies, sriracha, peppercorns or baking spices—appeals to masochistic mixologists who want to make you sweat. And that fifth taste, umami, pops up in hoisin, soy and bacon.

These shaker-worthy components deftly complement Far East spirits to create striking cocktail bases. The best part? These creative concoctions require neither a long list of ingredients nor a passport to deliver palate-piquing flavor.

The name for this cocktail at China Chilcano, José Andrés’s Peruvian/Chinese/Japanese fusion restaurant, derives from the Chinese word for horse, as 2014 was both the Year of the Horse and a most auspicious time for ThinkFoodGroup, according to Coronado.

“The yuzu imparts great aromas, and the five-spice syrup brings sweetness and earthiness to the cocktail,” he says.

Combine all ingredients except for the sparkling water and garnishes into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with sparkling water and garnish with star anise and lemon peel.

Star Anise-Ginger Syrup

1 cup sugar
¼ cup diced ginger
¼ cup star anise pods

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, sugar and ginger, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add star anise and let steep for 20 minutes. Double-strain syrup. Let cool before using.

You Do Yuzu

Yuzu, the most popular and readily available, is like a lemon-tangerine mash-up, and it works well in light-bodied cocktails, according to Spangler. He also likes to use heady kaffir lime leaves. Lightly bruised as a garnish, they’re incredibly aromatic.

Thai green papaya salad, or Som Tum, is reimagined in liquid form in this creation.

“Although it has notes of spice, the salad is incredibly refreshing and citrus forward,” says Spangler. In the cocktail, an Eastern-style gin hints of peppercorn and lemongrass, green papaya lends a vegetal note and Thai chilies ramp up the heat.

Thai Chili & Black Pepper Syrup

Add first 3 ingredients and 2 cups of water to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and add sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, strain out solids and let cool.

Spice Is Nice

“Spice doesn’t always just mean spicy hot, as in chili peppers, but should also be thought of as a seasoning,” says Spangler.

Soi 38 uses spicy elements that fuel the fire—green and red Thai chilies, black peppercorn and sriracha—as well as tamer, more tempered ones like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and coriander.

Brown employs galangal, which she says is similar to ginger, “but a bit sharper and spicier,” but her current favorite is Sichuan peppercorn. Though overpowering when consumed whole, when properly used, it’s more tolerable.

For this Southeast Asian take on the gimlet, bartenders use sweet Osmanthus wine, a floral-flavored Chinese beverage, to foil the chilies’ heat. Lemon, lime and kinh gioi, a Vietnamese herb reminiscent of lemongrass, provide bright citrus tones.

“The best Asian food contains elements of sweet, sour and spicy working in harmony, and this drink exhibits all these notes beautifully,” says Brown.